Electrical box hanger assemblies are commonly used for supporting lighting or fan fixtures from suspended or drop ceilings. The hanger assemblies typically include a hanger bar of sufficient length to span between the T-rail supports of the suspended ceiling, which is typically a distance of two feet. The hanger assemblies also typically include electrical boxes and end plates that extend a significant distance laterally from the hanger bar, making the hanger bar assembly very bulky.
Many electrical installation and wiring tasks around the home are now done by the homeowner. Thus, hanger assemblies for electrical boxes are typically marketed and sold by suppliers directly to homeowners through retail establishments such as hardware stores. As they are marketing directly to the homeowner, retailers prefer placing the hanger assemblies in packaging that catches the consumer's eye but also that minimizes shelf space as much as possible. Thus, for displaying a bulky item such as an electrical box hanger assembly, the more the overall profile of the hanger assembly can be reduced, the easier the retailer will be able to find shelf space for the assembly. Reducing the overall profile of the hanger assembly also leads to significant advantages in storing and shipping also benefits the manufacturer.
Thus, in regard to electrical box hanger assemblies in today's marketplace, one common desire of the manufacturer and retailer is an ability to reduce the overall profile of the hanger assembly for storage, shipping, and shelf display. It is thus an objective of the present invention to provide a reconfigurable electrical box hanger assembly for a suspended ceiling that can be configured to a compact profile for shipping and storage and to an expanded profile for mounting a lighting or fan fixture to the grid supporting structure of a drop ceiling.